A Vegan Tailgate Blog

Category: vegan

With the 2017 Super Bowl upon us, here is a great finger food recipe that will wow the party. I grew up with lox and cream cheese brunches. While I never could get into eating smoked salmon, this carrot version is arguable better tasting and certainly more healthy. Enjoy!

They said it couldn’t be done. No, not the Browns winning their 2nd to last game of the year, avoiding an abysmal 0-16 season. They said making hand-dipped corn dogs at the tailgate with only a grill was next to impossible. I’m here to say it is not. Quite the opposite, this recipe is simple and can be replicated anywhere.

Image: Fox8.com

What you’ll need is a couple packs of Field Roast Frankfurters (no other brand will do), some bamboo sticks, non-stick foil and the prepared cornmeal batter from below. Put the dogs on a stick and grill. Then dip in the batter and wrap carefully, tight around the ends but loose in the middle to allow for expansion. Be generous when dipping and coat the entirety of the dog. Watch in amazement as you unwrap the foil to a perfectly encrusted corn dog. No deep frying required! Enjoy!

Directions

The day before, mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, spices, pepper, ener-g-egg replacer, non-dairy milk and sugar together in a medium bowl. Slowly add additional non-dairy milk until the mixture is wet and can be worked with. However, be careful it’s not too soupy or dry and doughy.

At the tailgate, skewer each dog with the wooden stick. Grill until brown with nice grill marks.

Dip each tofu dog into the cornmeal mixture, making sure its evenly coated.

Place the coated dog on a piece of non-stick foil. Place it off to one side and not in the center. Fold the closest side of the foil over the dog. From there, roll the dog until it’s completely wrapped in foil (not too tight). Twist the ends in opposite directions to seal.

Grill again, for about 5-7 turning once. The goal is to have the batter steam up around the dog.

While the website didn’t undergo an expansive (and expensive) “two-year revamping project,” the new logo drew rave reviews from fans of the site.

A proud father, Adam, Erin and Chris enjoying a vegan sausage

“That logo is AMAZING!” said Nick Harper of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Harper also happens to be the creative brain trust behind the name “Hold the Pigskin.”

“That is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! When can I make it my background?” chimed Chris Sheeks, a game-day regular.

Requests have poured in for t-shirts, aprons and other memorabilia with the new logo and should be coming soon. Those who want merchandise should fill out this form to be included in the first batch.

Other intricate details of the logo, drawn by Cleveland artist and designer Shawn T. Gray, include a carrot football with green leaves protruding from the bottom of the “carrot skin” and a flaming grill to symbolize the epic tailgates.

We went a little further than this!

Unfortunately, this logo rollout didn’t come with huge party at the convention center or utilize focus groups and surveys, but the impact on the brand is unmistakable. “This is a total game-changer,” said website operator and head chef Adam Rosen. “Hold The Pigskin is now firmly on the map as a vegan destination event for plant-based tailgaters around the world.”

The vegan tailgate season opens Sunday, September 20th in the Muni Lot when the Browns take on the Tennessee Titans. Expect some other exciting additions to the tailgate this year in addition to the new logo. Stay tuned! #btlerie

Part of me wishes I had tried poutine before taking the vegan plunge 4 years ago. Then again, the amalgamation of deep fried potatoes, brown gravy and cheese curds probably wouldn’t have sat well with me. I didn’t even know what poutine was until my little brother made several trips north of the border and came back raving about it. Since I had been thinking about veganizing the Canadian specialty for a while, a vegan Super Bowl party in Akron seemed like a perfect time.

What makes this poutine different from all other poutine? Well aside from the fact it’s vegan, made with Field Roast Chao cheese and Vegan Sausage Gravy (see recipe below), it is also a special type of French fry known only to Akronites and Summit County Ohio dwellers as Jo Jo potatoes. Ok, the potato wedge isn’t exactly unique to Akron, Ohio, but I can almost guarantee you that Jo Jo Potatoes have never made their way into vegan poutine before this. And now it’s time to share with the world.

The recipe is not hard to put together. To mimic the deep fried, egg covered Jo Jo’s found in pizza and chicken shops in my hometown, I parboiled potato wedges and coated them in cornstarch, spices and a little olive oil before roasting them. The result is a crispy outside and a moist steamy inside. The poutine is assembled in separate bowls topped with the savory sausage gravy and a sprinkle of fresh sage. You can serve as an app, side or main dish. Enjoy!

Directions

Jo Jo’s: Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes and cut them, lengthwise, into 10 to 12 even wedges.Place the sliced potatoes into a large bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak for 10 minutes (aka parboil).Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry thoroughly with a clean tea towel or paper towels. Evenly toss the potatoes with the cornstarch, than add the oil, salt and pepper.Arrange the fries in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip them. Continue to bake until the fries are golden and crisp, about another 20 minutes longer. In the last 5 minutes, remove the pans and add the cheese on top. Allow to melt before removing. Time serving so these are hot!Sausage Gravy: Heat a skillet over a medium flame. Add the onions and cook for three minutes, until starting to soften. Add the crumbled sausage and cook for five minutes, until starting to brown. Add the flour and stir well. After two minutes, add the remaining ingredients, whisking well to combine. It will thicken and be ready rather quickly. To serve: Place fries in a bowl or on a plate and sprinkle with cheese. While still warm, pour gravy over fries and cheese. Top with fresh sage and enjoy!

Week 12 Browns vs. TexansMid-November and the Browns were in first place. Notice I said were in first place. A dismal performance on the field did not have a chance to ruin a spirited tailgate in just above freezing temperatures. While the team let us down, Clevelanders proved once again that we know how to tailgate (and vegan tailgate at that).

This sandwich was inspired by the famed vegan BBQ food truck Homegrown Smoker out of Portland, Oregon. Their Twitter and Instagram accounts are a must follow for those of us who don’t live in the Pacific Northwest. They are always coming up with mind-blowing and universe-altering creations. One thing they do frequently is put Mac and Cheese on sandwiches and burritos. I know what your thinking… isn’t that gonna be a huge mess? Yes, yes it is a huge mess. But stuff that sandwich full and grab a fork to eat what’s left behind. This is not for the faint of heart.

Soy Curls are made with soaked soy beans and then cooked. They are dried at a low temperature and ready for you to rehydrate them and add a multitude of flavors. In addition to a dry rub marinade in which I let the rehydrated curls sit overnight, I smoked them using indirect heat and a cast iron smoker box in my grill. The result are crispy ends, tons of BBQ flavor and people begging for seconds. The finished product looks a bit like pulled chicken but is packed with way more flavor because the curls absorb spices so well.

The Mac and Cheese recipe here is a refined product from the previous Mac and Cheese recipes posted on this site (here and here). It uses roasted/sautéed/cooked veggies, cashews and a bit of nutritional yeast for creamy texture and taste. I made it the night before, put it in a foil pan and warmed it on the grill.

The sandwich is complete with grilled peppers and onions, pickles and a grilled bun. Feel free to top with your favorite BBQ or hot sauce. Enjoy!Soy Curls

Pour hot water over the soy curls. Soak for 10 minutes and drain, pressing out addition water from the curls.

Add the spices and let sit for an hour or over night.

Prepare the grill for indirect heat. Place the smoker box on the coals.

Throw the curls in a grill basket and set on the grill away from heat. Let smoke for 30 minutes. The curls should have burnt ends and turn a darker color.

Mac and Cheese

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large onions, diced

2 roasted red peppers, skins peeled

1 head garlic, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least an hour

4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided

2 teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch of sea salt

2 lb macaroni noodles

Boil a big pot of water and add the noodle. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions for a minutes. Add garlic and sauté a minute more. Then toss in the potatoes and carrots and cover with veggie broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until soft (about 10 minutes).

Drain the cashews and add the to the blender with the veggies (do not drain!), cornstarch, nutritional yeast, peppers, 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste, and spices. Blend!

Mix the cheese into the noodle. Store in a foil container and warm on the grill for 15 minutes at the tailgate

Now for the Sandwich!

Buns

2 green peppers, cut in strips

1 onion, cut in strips

2 jalapeños

Sandwich pickles

Toss the peppers and onions in the grill basket after the soy curls are done. Grill over direct heat for 7-8 minutes

Then grill the buns

Assemble the sandwiches by placing soy curls, mac and cheese, peppers and onions and pickles. Use a little hot sauce of BBQ sauce if you wish.

The vegan tailgate is going strong! Not to be confused with the Bucks of Ohio State, the Browns took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past weekend in Cleveland. Perfect football weather made for perfect tailgate conditions. And the Brown won! The Browns have a winning record and this recipe was quite the crowd pleaser.

This is another seitan recipe, so if you follow the blog you are basically an expert by now! It is my take on Philly Cheesesteaks, inspired by the Vegan Zombie. Everything, except the buns, is made from scratch, so you’ll need to set aside a few hours the night before the game to make everything. Also, this doesn’t have to be made in the parking lot and can be made at home very easily. Great for away games!

Directions-Preheat the oven to 375-Combine the wet and dry ingredients and form a dough. Roll into a log and place in a covered casserole dish (I used a roasting pan)

-Bring all the ingredients for the stock to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes

-Pour the stock in casserole dish to cover seitan. Cover and bake 375 for 45 minutes (Note: baste the seitan if it didn’t quite cover it every 20 minutes or so). Then flip seitan and continue to cook for 45 hour uncovered. -Meanwhile make the cheese: Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the agar agar. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to simmer and cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the agar is dissolved completely.

-Put the cashews into the blender with all the remaining ingredients. Pour in the agar mixture and Blend on high until very smooth.

-Pour into a glass dish or non-stick pan (if you think it will stick then spray with vegetable oil.) Refrigerate until firm. Remove the cheese by running a knife or spatula around the edge and it will pop out of the container. -For the veggies, slice the peppers, onions, mushrooms and garlic and place in a sealed bag or container. Add lime juice, soy sauce, agave, rice vinegar and herbs and let marinate until ready to grill. -Once the seitan is done, let cool and wrap up in foil, along with cheese, until its tailgate time.-Grill the peppers, onions and mushrooms until charred. Set aside-Shave the seitan using a grater or sharp knife. Grill in a grill pan or cast iron skillet.

-Grate this cheese using a box grater. toss on the seitan in the last few minutes to soften.-Toast the buns on the grill and assemble the sandwiches to your liking

Momentum was in the Browns favor after the big upset win last week and the weather held off for another perfect tailgate. Unfortunately, the Browns lost in typical Browns fashion despite being the better team. The vegans really ended up winning the day with amazing eats and you can find the recipes below.

Tempeh, much like tofu, absorbs flavor really well. I allowed the tempeh to marinate in a homemade teriyaki for 36 hours before tossing on the grill. Tempeh holds up quite well on the grill even when soaked with a marinade.

I paired the tempeh with grilled portobello and pineapple. I simply glazed them with the leftover marinade from the tempeh. The beauty of not using meat! The marinade can be reserved and used for other purposes.

Also, the burrito is a great vessel for the grill. It crisps up nicely. Erin, the wrapping queen put these together and loaded them peanut slaw, more teriyaki and peanut sauce. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Tempeh

Ingredients

2 packages tempeh (16 oz.)

1 1/2 cup soy sauce, bragg’s or tamari

1/2 cup rice wine, sake, or mirin

1 cup water plus 1/4 cup water

½ cup agave nectar or brown sugar

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

½ cup rice vinegar

1 head garlic, pressed

2 tbsp. minced ginger root

2 tbsp. corn starch

Directions

Whisk all the ingredients except for 1/4 cup water and corn starch in a sauce pot

Simmer over low-medium heat, until reduced by about half (20-30 minutes, or so)

Cover the tempeh with about 1/2 of the sauce. Cover and refrigerate overnight

Make a glaze with the remaining sauce. Mix 2 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup tablespoon water. Heat sauce on medium high heat and add cornstarch water mixture. Simmer until thickened.